


The Point

by alecsangel (angel)



Category: Dark Angel
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-02-07
Updated: 2003-02-07
Packaged: 2017-11-23 23:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/627832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel/pseuds/alecsangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Max and Alec talk about love on the Space Needle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Point

Alec sighed as he stood on his perch on the Needle. The chilling wind didn't bother him as it ruffled his hair slightly and lifted his jacket away from his tight black t-shirt. It was February again. February fourteenth to be exact, and Alec just wanted to curl up in a ball and hide away from the world.  
That had actually been his plan for the day. He had already called into work and explained to Normal that he wasn't feeling well. Of course, he'd been given the next few days off. Sometimes being himself wasn't such a bad thing.

He chewed on his lower lip as he stared out at the city and contemplated the meaningless holiday that everyone was celebrating today. Valentine's day was all about hearts and candy and love. Love was his problem. Love would always be his problem because for all his perfection and enhanced genes, he would never find love again like he had with Rachel.

He pushed the thoughts of Rachel out of his mind as he sat down, drawing his knees up to his chest.

Abruptly, his enhanced hearing caught the sound of soft footsteps. He didn't bother to turn around, already knowing who it was.

"Love sucks." He said, trying to sound sarcastic, but failing miserably.

"Can't argue with that." She laughed dryly, taking a seat a considerable distance away from him and watching his profile in the early morning light.

"What are you doing here, Maxie?" He asked, after a long, uncomfortable silence.

"Normal said that you called in sick and I wanted to see if you were alright." She replied honestly, hoping that he wouldn't think of it as an intrusion of his privacy. He didn't talk about Rachel Berrisford, but she was sure that didn't stop him from thinking about her, especially on days like today.

"I'm always..."

"Alright?" Max interrupted him, finishing his sentence. "There's only so many times that I'm going to let you get by with saying that before I kick your ass."

He turned his head to look at her then and she gasped at the pain she saw in his hazel eyes. "I really just want to be alone, Max." He said, turning his head so that he was staring back out over the city.

She said nothing, instead preferring to just sit beside him. She didn't want to leave him, but she didn't want to bother him either. Alec was rarely anything but the cocky, sarcastic ass that he wanted everyone to see, so she always found the other side of his personality intriguing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, into the silence.

"Define 'it.'" He replied, his voice sounding detached.

"Whatever is bothering you."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Because I wasn't there? Alec, I'm getting sick and tired of..."

"Because," he interrupted, "even I don't understand."

"Oh." Max subsided for a moment, then continued doggedly.

"Maybe if you talked, it would help you understand."

Alec sighed. "Max..."

"Alec..." she mimicked him flawlessly.

He stared at her, then laughed.

"Talk." she ordered.

"Bossy much," he muttered, finally turning to face her squarely.

"In denial much," she countered, trying to get him to laugh.

He sighed, looking down at his hands for a moment before raising his head to look at her again. "She was so beautiful. It really hurt to look at her sometimes. But my heart wouldn't listen to my head and I fell for her. Head-over-fucking-heels. I never understood that saying until I saw her."

"She was very beautiful," Max said, smiling reassuringly at him. His gaze was unfocused, as if he was staring straight through her.

"We had fun together." He laughed. "Once, we even sneaked out of a dinner party to take a dip in the pool." His smile faded. "But then, it all came crashing down when they ordered me to kill her, to blow the car up with her inside. I tried to talk them out of it and I tried to talk her out of it. I actually told her the truth."

He fell silent and Max didn't know what to do. A tear slowly made its way down his cheek and she was helpless to do anything for him.

He took a shaky breath and started to speak again; his words rushing together. "That's my biggest regret. I told her that she was my job and she looked at me with such disgust and betrayal in her eyes. I ran after her, but I couldn't get there in time and I watched the car go up in a ball of fire and smoke. I watched her die, or so I thought. Manticore came and got me and threw me into PsyOps."

"Alec," Max said, reaching for him, but he flinched before she even touched him.

"Then, we went to take that package to the estate and it all came rushing back. I thought she was alive and well and okay and I had to find out for myself." He looked up, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I really did want Berrisford to kill me that night, to put me out of my misery. But there you were, saving my ass. I was glad that I was able to say good-bye to Rachel, but there were days that I resented you for not letting Berrisford kill me.

"But, you know what, it was something that I had to experience so that when I felt love again, I would know what it is and that I shouldn't screw it up."

She tilted her head, not really understanding what he was saying. "Wha..."

"I love you, Max. I always have, ever since I saw you. You don't have to return my feelings; you don't have to say anything back to me. But that's how I feel."

He held his breath, waiting for her to yell at him or something.

Suddenly she was embracing him tightly, having crossed the distance between them in a blur of movement. She pulled back to wipe his tears away, whispering, "I love you too, Alec."

He stared at her, jaw gaping open. He had not expected her to say that at all. Not knowing what else to do, he leaned in, slowly closing the distance until their lips met. He kissed her softly, pulling back after only a moment. Max's hand on the back of his head held him in place as she kissed him more deeply, parting his lips with her tongue and exploring his mouth.

They both pulled back at the same time, smiling at the feelings stirred deep inside them. "Happy Easter." Alec said, grinning broadly.

"It's Valentine's Day." She said, playfully smacking his shoulder.

He laughed, pulling her closer to him as they turned to look out at over their adopted home. "Now, this is a holiday I can get into," Alec muttered into her hair, thoroughly enjoying having her in his arms. She sighed contently, leaning against him as they watched the sun rise together.

~The End


End file.
